BJP’s lone Muslim MP weighs in on Waqf debate: ‘Presence of non-Muslims in boards won’t be a problem’

The 54-year-old supported the law in the Upper House at a time when the Opposition accused the BJP of claiming to speak for the welfare of Muslims despite not having a single elected MP or Union minister from the minority community.

On the Opposition’s charge that a single official above the rank of collector would now decide whether a property was Waqf property or not, Ali said the survey commissioners were the ones to take a call in the earlier version of the law too. “Under the new law, the door to take the matter to the High Court has been opened if one is not satisfied with the decision of the officer,” he said.

While some Opposition leaders expressed concerns about registration of Waqf properties on a website, wondering whether they would be deemed illegal if registration was not possible for some reason, Ali said it was important to change with the times. “There was a time when a marriage would take place without Nikahnama, but now Nikahnama is important,” he said, adding that registration made matters more transparent and automatically reduced the burden of litigation.

Ali underlined that common Muslims would have “no problem with the presence of non-Muslims in the Waqf Boards” as the central issue was of better and transparent management of Waqf properties. “It is not as if masjids, dargahs, and qabristans (cemeteries) are being handed over to non-Muslims,” he added. Ali insisted it was more important to ensure that Waqf properties were being used for the purpose for which they had been donated. “It is improper that a donation for a hospital or an orphanage is diverted for the creation of a commercial complex,” he said.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji wants proper running of Waqf so that the properties are used for the benefit of ordinary Muslims,” Ali said, adding that the increase in revenue due to transparent management would be used for the benefit of Muslims.

Ali offered the example of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Katra, which also offers oncology services, under the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. He said the efficient management of such Trusts benefits the community, while opacity benefits only a few who use the properties for their own benefit. He expressed hope that transparency in the running of Waqf Boards would make such facilities available for Muslims too.

A Gujjar Muslim from Jammu and Kashmir, Ali joined the BJP in 2008. In 2022, the Narendra Modi government nominated him to the Rajya Sabha, a move that was seen as an outreach to the Gujjars and Bakarwals in the state.